The insurance check when you buy a tax disc has been in place for over 40 years and has led to countless drivers scrabbling for the key insurance document every time their car-tax falls due, but now motorists will no longer need to show their car insurance certificate when taxing their vehicle under yet more new plans to cut red tape for drivers.
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MONEY'S SIX OF THE BEST
Money Morals: We had to spend £3,000 fixing our boiler and now we're skint - is it too late to cancel Christmas?
We had managed to put aside about £500 for Christmas but our boiler packed up and now we have no money and put part of the repair on our credit card. The reality is that we simply can’t afford to have a normal Christmas and will struggle even to have a cheaper one that the children won’t notice has been downgraded. Should we tell the kids? Have your say in Money Morals.
DEALS OF THE WEEK
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DON'T MISS
- How much tax will you be paying next year? What has George Osborne done for you?
- ADAM UREN: State pension rises show young people need to vote So they aren't an open goal for austerity
- The best places to invest for your kids How to save and invest - and some of the best funds to pick
- SMALL CAP SHARE TIPS: Serabi Gold has a 'bit of a tiger by its tail' Brazil plant nears switch-on for this tip
- On the up: Number of job vacancies rises to 15 year high And salaries increase at fastest rate since November 2007
- Where is the money I paid to PPI claims firm? Missing cash turns up on the Costa del Sol!
- How to enjoy retirement 'I took 25 per cent as a tax-free lump sum and used some of it to buy a kayak'
- 'Our household bills are still soaring' Britain is back on track - so what does it mean for YOUR money
- That's a pick-up! Midas tipped equipment rental firm Vp - and it's up 77 per cent
- 'Mamma Mia! We saved £40 each on top seats' Top show tickets are slashed to £10 over the festive season
- FTSE 100 set to share in recovery British shares should grind higher as earnings catch up with recent rise in valuations
- I have four days holiday left. Can I make my boss let me carry them over? I will not be able to take them because we are so busy
- Why did the value of my pension drop from £112,500 to just £84,400? I can't understand what I was told by Friends Life
CITY & MARKETS
FTSE CLOSE: Mining sector pessimism stalls Footsie progress as China data disappoints
The FTSE 100 Index struggled for momentum as it climbed just 7.5 points to 6559.5 following a boost on Friday sparked by positive US jobs data that helped the top-flight end a five-session losing streak. But there seemed little enthusiasm for more increases, despite better-than-expected Chinese export data. Imports to the world's second biggest economy missed expectations, pushing miners near the top of the fallers' board.
SMALL CAP SHARE TIPS: Serabi Gold has a 'bit of a tiger by its tail' as Brazil plant nears switch-on
SAVE MONEY, MAKE MONEY: THE BEST RATES, DEALS AND TIPS THAT CAN MAKE YOUR RICHER
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BALANCE TRANSFERS
Best credit cards to help clear your debts at 0 per cent interest -
FIVE FAVOURITE ISAS
We've scoured the savings tables to find the best tax-free savings -
BEST BANK ACCOUNTS
Our pick of the top deals and perks that even include free money -
TOP CREDIT CARDS
From big ticket purchases to rewards, we pick the top deals -
CUT ENERGY BILLS
Is it worth switching supplier and how much could you save? -
CHEAP MORTGAGES
What next for rates, the best buy deals and should you fix? -
CAR INSURANCE
Ten tips to find the cheapest and best cover - plus compare quotes in minutes -
HOLIDAY SPENDING
Bank accounts and credit cards that don't hit you with big fees -
BALANCE TRANSFERS
Best credit cards to help clear your debts at 0 per cent interest -
FIVE FAVOURITE ISAS
We've scoured the savings tables to find the best tax-free savings
MONEY NEWS & ADVICE
'I decided that if properties were selling themselves I didn't need an estate agent - and saved £20k': Save by selling your house
Any day now the millionth home sale of the year will be recorded - easily the highest number of annual sales since 2007. But is it possible to avoid the costs and sell without a traditional estate agent at all? Interior designer Marie Kalsi (pictured) says yes - and reckons she saved a staggering £20,000 by doing just that.
'Mamma Mia! We saved £40 each on top seats': Top show tickets are slashed to £10 over the festive season and into the New Year
The Society of London Theatre, which represents theatre companies, is slashing the cost of tickets for 45 West End shows to as little as £10 for New Year performances – with the bargain tickets going on sale on Tuesday. Friends Julie Marcus, Kelly Brown and Judith Lindsay, pictured, were in the queue.
Britain is back on track – so what does it mean for YOUR money
The economy is recovering and the Government is slowly getting a grip on its borrowings. But what did the Autumn Statement mean for households? Fuel bills cut by £50 a year, tax allowance up, but hopes dashed on Child Trust Funds. Phil and Caroline Radnor (pictured) are worried about increased costs.
'It’s awful that people can be lured into using these websites': It's NOT official - online sting that charges up to £1,000 for service you can get FREE
Don’t be fooled by the websites at the top of Google’s search list when you want to file your tax form or apply for a passport or driving licence. Experts are warning taxpayers to avoid websites that promise to process for a hefty fee your self-assessment tax return ahead of the January 31 deadline. Anita Montieth, tax manager at the Institute of Chartered Accountants (pictured), says: 'They get you to do all the work and then charge you a fee. '
State pension age rises will see youngest working into their 70s and millions in their 40s waiting an extra year to retire
George Osborne confirmed in his Autumn Statement that the age at which people can claim their state pension will rise to 68 in the mid-2030s, 69 in the 2040s and 70 in the 2060s. State pension ages are already rising to 66 in 2020 and 67 from 2026, but the Government has decided to bring forward further rises as it deals with the growing costs caused by the UK's aging population and increasing life expectancy.
CARDS OF THE WEEK
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MORE BUSINESS, CITY AND ECONOMY NEWS
RBS faces quiz over collapsed fashion chain Peacocks
Former directors and investors in Peacocks are considering a complaint about Royal Bank of Scotland to the Serious Fraud Office. When Peacocks went into administration in early 2012, RBS played a key role as the retailer’s leading lender in deciding to pull the plug.
YOUR MONEY ESSENTIALS
ASK TONY: It's taken Orange five months to pay a £25 phone top-up
My husband asked for £25 to be added to our account. On receiving our bank statement, we found £25 had been debited on June 6 and a further £25 was taken twice on June 10. We've contacted Orange on a number of occasions and have even visited our local Orange shop twice, but we still haven't had the extra money they took returned to us.
Can a bad borrowing history REALLY put you on the lending blacklist? Credit rating facts and fiction
A staggering 63 per cent of people bury their head in the sand and avoid checking their credit rating. But knowing the facts from the fiction could help you build up a better credit rating giving you access to better rates on credit cards and loans and help you get a mortgage.
Don't get caught out by the investing conmen: Four ways fraudsters try to get hold of your hard-earned savings
Scammers are targeting those who want to chase huge returns with offers of investments in carbon credits, diamonds, wine or shares that can be worthless. The mantra when it comes to investing is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Playstation4 sells out in first weekend with gamers told orders made two weeks before launch will not arrive in time for Christmas
Gamers were urged to pre-order before the PS4's launch at midnight last Friday and by this morning retailers could no longer guarantee Christmas delivery. This means if you had left your Christmas shopping until now or in time for Cyber Monday, you or your games-obsessed children may well be left disappointed.
THIS IS MONEY: HOW TO FIX YOUR FINANCES
- Play the property game: Ten steps to buying your first home
- From free money to top perks? Five of the best current accounts
- DIY investing essentials: Should you invest in shares or funds?
- Climb on the ladder: The first-time buyer's guide to getting a mortgage
- How to get a cheaper smartphone
- Going on holiday? Best debit and credit cards to beat overseas fees
- Ten tips to get cheaper car insurance
- The best balance transfer credit cards to help clear your debts
- The best credit cards for spending, holidays and rewards
50 ways to save money: Simple steps to cut your regular spend that could clear your debts or boost your savings
To clear the average national household debt of £13,000 at 6% interest with a monthly repayment of £100 will take around 17 years. There are, however, plenty of simple ways to make significant savings on your regular spending that could clear your debt - or boost your savings - in less than a year. This is Money's top 50 – updated – money-saving tips may appear light-hearted but are deadly serious.
WHAT NEXT FOR YOUR MONEY?
Get saving now: This is Money's five favourite best buy cash Isas for 2013
A new tax year means a fresh Isa allowance to save. We pick our five favourite cash Isas for savers, don't miss this essential Isa reading that is kept up-to-date throughout the year.
When will interest rates rise? Bank says unemployment target could be hit in 2015 - but that still may not trigger an increase
The bank rate is at a rock bottom 0.5%, and one day it must rise. The big question is when? We explain the factors that will decide when interest rates rise and how quickly, including the latest forecasts from markets and economists. The Bank of England now says the stronger than expected recovery could see the 7 per cent unemployment benchmark arrive sooner.
Compare your pay to the national average in your job: League table of official UK salaries across 400 trades and professions
Midwives in the UK get paid on average £29,248: so where does your salary fit into the national league table, and how does it compare to the average in your profession? Our table lists hundreds of Britain's jobs from company executives and doctors to van drivers, waiters and textile machine operators.
Premium Bonds winners
Prize value | Winning bond No. | Area |
---|---|---|
£1,000,000 | 194NG757751 | Leicestershire |
£100,000 | 195GC315228 | Barnet |
£100,000 | 15ZA606741 | Kent |
£100,000 | 149AS524840 | Dorset |
£50,000 | 184BF854282 | Kent |
£50,000 | 129VF152496 | Lincolnshire |
£50,000 | 171DR090685 | Tyne and Wear |
£50,000 | 200DV686109 | Greater Manchester |
£50,000 | 185MV145988 | Oxfordshire |
£50,000 | 205AV138315 | Wiltshire |
A NEW ERA FOR BANK ACCOUNTS
MOST READ ON MONEY THIS WEEK
- NS&I; given green light to take in more cash from savers as target is raised But don't think that means higher rates
- After five years, an end to cheap cash for mortgages could finally force banks to pay higher savings rates The end of rock-bottom savings deals?
- Don't get mad about RBS IT meltdown - just get even Claim compensation... then ditch them!
- Time to cap pension charges? You might pay less than you think
- Driverless cars could soon hit the UK Chancellor offers £10m prize fund for first town that is willing to test them
- WOODEN SPOON AWARDS 2013: The terrible ten who had you howling with rage this year?
- 'My GP said he has never had to fill in so many forms' Joseph needed three doctor's notes before Axa accepted he was really ill
- A new wave of investment opportunities in the East? How you can cash in on China's impending shopping boom
- Hackers target RBS and crash NatWest online banking Inflicting bank's second IT breakdown in a week
- Will there be a Christmas stock market rally? FTSE All Share Index has made positive returns in 26 out of the past 27 years.
- BT 'opts in' millions of customers to new £1.75-a-month charges For services that used to be free
- Two new best buy savings from FirstSave Two year fix at 2.35% and five year fix at 3.15%.
- Npower blunders mean a million customers have gone without bills for months And now face huge demands or a wait for refunds
- Victims of mobile phone theft saved from shock bills As firms agree to cap charges run up by thieves
- E.On completes Big Six price rises with a £54 a year hike But admits the increase includes £4 of extra profit
- Millions WILL NOT see £50 cut to energy After firms refuse to pass on full savings of green levy roll back
- Buy a £250k home and get hit with a stamp duty bill designed for an £800k one Does George Osborne dare fix this mess?
- Six of the most economical family cars money can buy True MPG figures reveal Seat Leon is cheapest to run
- Don't get caught out by the investing conmen Four ways fraudsters try to get hold of your savings
This is Money on Twitter
Premium Bonds winners
Prize value | Winning bond No. | Area |
---|---|---|
£1,000,000 | 194NG757751 | Leicestershire |
£100,000 | 195GC315228 | Barnet |
£100,000 | 15ZA606741 | Kent |
£100,000 | 149AS524840 | Dorset |
£50,000 | 184BF854282 | Kent |
£50,000 | 129VF152496 | Lincolnshire |
£50,000 | 171DR090685 | Tyne and Wear |
£50,000 | 200DV686109 | Greater Manchester |
£50,000 | 185MV145988 | Oxfordshire |
£50,000 | 205AV138315 | Wiltshire |
Mortgage Affordability Calculator
Latest: Mortgages & home
- Virgin Money enters Help to Buy race and will even give you £300 back, but are its fixed mortgages worth it?
- 'I decided that if properties were selling themselves I didn't need an estate agent - and saved £20k': Save thousands by selling your house
- Accidental landlords hit harder than the oligarchs as valuable capital gains tax break is halved from April
- Quarter of a million tenants withhold rent as punishment for taking too long to make urgent repairs - but are they breaking the law?
- West Brom scores with new smaller deposit two-year fixed rate mortgages as low as 2.79%
- Aldermore joins Help to Buy scheme and will become the first to let homeowners remortgage under it
- Potential first-time buyers hit highest level in three years but a third are left bamboozled by how Help to Buy works
- The props for record low home loans are being removed, so should you fix now? What next for mortgage rates?
- Is there no stopping them now? House prices up 7.7% as property values jump £2,000 in November
Latest from Saving & banking
- The national savings slump: NS&I; to cut Direct Isa rate again to just 1.5% - days after it was given green light to attract more savings
- Hackers target RBS and crash NatWest online banking for an hour inflicting bank with second IT breakdown in a week
- Don't get mad about RBS IT meltdown - just get even: Claim compensation... then ditch them!
- NS&I; given green light to take in more cash from savers as target is raised - but don't think that means higher rates
- Isa limit to track inflation and rise to £11,880 for 2014-15 - but lifetime savings are not capped and millions remain stuck in child trust funds
- How to start saving, beat the taxman and track down the best rates
- ESSENTIAL GUIDE: How to start saving or investing into an Isa
- Halifax axes rates on savings deals from cash Isas to accounts for kids as big name providers continue to desert savers
- After five years of misery, an end to cheap cash for mortgages could finally force banks to pay higher savings rates
- Hopes of a middle-income tax giveaway in the Autumn Statement fade while savers wait on rumoured Isa changes
ANSWERS FROM THE Experts
- TONY HETHERINGTON: Your missing cash is on the Costa del Sol!
- I have four days holiday to use by the end of the year but can't take them. Can I make my boss let me carry them over?
- 'Why won't my pension provider let me increase my contributions?': Scottish Life apologises after clerical error
- ASK TONY: It's taken Orange five months to pay a £25 phone top-up
- Can I cover a big arrangement fee for my buy-to-let mortgage by claiming it back against tax?
- TONY HETHERINGTON: Green Planet Investment promoted by ex-football star Lee Sharpe closed down after investors lose £14m
- 'I can't close my bank account because Phoenix hasn't been able to redirect my drawdown payments - for 18 months!'
- I am living in South Africa but I want to open a share dealing account in UK. Can I do this without a UK address?
- My wife and I live in Spain but still own a family home in the UK. What's the best way to draw up a will?
- Could insulating paint really help lower my heating bills or is it just an elaborate hoax?
Currency | Rate | Buy now |
---|---|---|
Updated 09 Dec 2013. | ||
Euro | 1.1705 | Buy Now |
US Dollar | 1.6049 | Buy Now |
Australian Dollar | 1.7422 | Buy Now |
Canadian Dollar | 1.694 | Buy Now |
Chinese Yuan | 9.535 | Buy Now |
Croatian Kuna | 8.8023 | Buy Now |
Czech Koruna | 31.548 | Buy Now |
Danish Kroner | 8.599 | Buy Now |
Egyptian Pound | 10.645 | Buy Now |
Euro | 1.1705 | Buy Now |
Hong Kong Dollar | 12.309 | Buy Now |
Hungarian Forint | 342.19 | Buy Now |
Japanese Yen | 164.51 | Buy Now |
Malaysian Ringgit | 5.0576 | Buy Now |
New Turkish Lire | 3.2252 | Buy Now |
New Zealand Dollar | 1.9237 | Buy Now |
Norwegian Kroner | 9.7109 | Buy Now |
Polish Zloty | 4.7783 | Buy Now |
Singapore Dollar | 1.978 | Buy Now |
South African Rand | 16.229 | Buy Now |
Sterling | 1.0 | Buy Now |
Swedish Kroner | 10.286 | Buy Now |
Swiss Franc | 1.423 | Buy Now |
Thai Baht | 50.222 | Buy Now |
UAE Dirham | 5.8422 | Buy Now |
LATEST ON HOUSEHOLD Bills
- Money Morals: We had to spend £3,000 fixing our boiler and now we're skint - is it too late to cancel Christmas?
- Are you ready for a bargain? Cash conscious shoppers could force early price cuts for Christmas
- 'Our household bills are still soaring': Britain is back on track – so what does it mean for YOUR money
- 'Mamma Mia! We saved £40 each on top seats': Top show tickets are slashed to £10 over the festive season and into the New Year
- Millions WILL NOT see £50 cut to energy after firms refuse to pass on full savings of green levy roll back to fixed tariff customers
- Energy bills: All the winter price hikes are in, so is it time to switch and where are the best fixed rate deals?
- 10 ways to beat hidden broadband costs
- E.On completes Big Six price rises with a £54 a year hike but admits the increase includes £4 of extra profit
- 'Going green does not have to cost the earth': Osborne confirms £50 cut to energy bills - and offers tax incentives for shale gas
- #Taxman: HMRC plans to follow you on Facebook and Twitter to remind you to do your return
Latest from Cards & loans
- Our loans picks: This Is Money's five of the best personal loans
- £80million a year Money Advice Service given stay of execution after being slammed by MPs as 'not fit for purpose'
- Young, poor, repeat borrowers with children: Payday lender's own survey reveals portrait of its 'average' customer
- Can a bad borrowing history REALLY put you on the lending blacklist? Credit rating facts and fiction
- Bosses at payday giant behind The Money Shop and Payday UK sued over 'predatory loans'
- Payday rise underlined as debt advisers see clients with problems with controversial loans double in just two years
- Will using payday loans ruin your chances of getting a mortgage? How lenders really view short-term loans
- Britain's debt timebomb: Nine million are in serious debt and nearly half have struggled with repayments for more than a year
- Santander holds flash sale on personal loans cutting rates to 4.6% - yet ANOTHER all-time record low
Latest from Investing
- Junior Isas, CTFs and more: How to save and invest for your children - and some of the best funds to pick
- SMALL CAP SHARE TIPS: Serabi Gold has a 'bit of a tiger by its tail' as Brazil plant nears switch-on
- SMALL CAP SHARE TIPS: Denmark's Nordic Energy ticks all the boxes for an oil & gas explorer
- Is it time to buy British? The FTSE 100 has fallen behind but investors could now profit from recovery
- MIDAS UPDATE: That’s a pick-up! Our tip, equipment rental firm Vp, leaps 77 per cent
- MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Greenko's eco power revolution in India could bring you big profits
- Blockbuster drugs and ObamaCare offer a boost to Worldwide Healthcare Trust
- SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SHARE TIPS: Greenko, AstraZeneca and William Hill
- Millions still stuck in child trust funds because of when they were born, so why can't we just move kids to Junior Isas?
Latest: money and Cars
- First no more discs in the windscreen and now for the first time in 40 years you won't have to hunt down an insurance certificate to buy your car tax either
- Six of the most economical family cars money can buy: True MPG figures reveal Seat Leon is cheapest to run
- Driverless cars could soon hit the UK as Chancellor offers £10m prize fund for first town that is willing to test them
- Planned fuel duty hike for next year scrapped giving relief to motorists while rail fare rises will be lower than expected
- British car industry heads for record year despite slow 'green' cars sales
- Motor industry boss: Britain's car market boom is helping create thousands of new jobs and rebalance the economy
- Rise of the ghostbroker: Young drivers warned to steer clear of dangerously cheap insurance that's actually a fake
- Think you're a good driver? Older motorists urged to let insurers track - and video - their driving to get cheaper insurance
- Petrol prices fall to lowest level for almost three years as strong pound gives motorists a small reason to cheer
TOP CALCULATORS
- This is Money's calculators and tools All our calculators in one place. See how they could help you
- Historic inflation: how the value of money has changed The effects of inflation since 1900 and what past prices mean today
- True cost mortgage tool - rates AND fees Compare the cost of rival fixed and tracker rate mortgages
- Mortgage affordability: How much you can borrow Find out how much you can afford to borrow and the difference between repayment and interest-only
- Monthly or lump sum savings calculator How much a regular monthly savings scheme could make or a lump sum could be worth.
- Premium Bonds: Have I won? How close have you been to winning your fortune? Our unique calculator will try to show you
- Pleasures v Treasures (how you can save more) How diverting the cash you 'waste' on everyday items into a long-term savings plan pays off
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